COMING UP ON NPR's WEEKEND PT JUNE 5 AND JUNE 6, 1999 LISA SIMEONE IS HOST Saturday, JUNE 5 Hour 1-- Milestones of the Millennium--Conductors: It's hard to imagine an orchestra concert without a conductor on the podium. But before the 18th century, the person who ran the show was one of the players. In this edition of Milestones of the Millennium, we'll examine how the role of the conductor has evolved during the last three centuries to fit the music that was written for orchestra. Hour 2-- Eschenbach's farewell: Christoph Eschenbach stepped down from his position as music director of the Houston Symphony last Monday evening. Dean Dalton of NPR member station KUHF reports on Eschenbach's contribution to the orchestra. And we'll hear the evening's grand finale: From Jones Hall in Houston, Eschenbach conducts the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, including the "Ode to Joy." Sunday, JUNE 6 Hour 1-- Festive happenings: Summer is a traditionally a time for music festivals. But some festivals don't wait until June 21st. The Hampden-Sydney Chamber Music Festival in central Virginia was a late-May event, and we'll hear a performance from the opening night concert: pianist Hung-Kuan Chen and the Shanghai String Quartet play the Piano Quintet in E-flat, Op. 44, by Robert Schumann. Hour 2-- Basic Hanson: PT critic Ted Libbey joins Martin Goldsmith for a trip to the 20th century wing of the PT Basic Record Library. Today Ted adds three outstanding recordings of symphonies by American composer Howard Hanson to the collection.. COMING UP ON NPR's PERFORMANCE TODAY JUNE 7--JUNE 14, 1999 Monday, JUNE 7 Hour 1-- Early Music from the Bay State: The tenth incarnation of the Boston Early Music Festival opened yesterday, and Boston Globe critic Richard Dyer offers a perspective on the importance of this gathering. Hour 2-- American Orchestras: From a May performance at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo New York, Keri-Lynn Wilson conducts the Buffalo Philharmonic in a performance of the Symphony No. 4 by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Tuesday, JUNE 8 Hour 1-- Fiddling around for a perfect sound: Violins may look alike, but each one has its own distinct sound. So how does a violinist choose the one that's best? Lisa talks to violinist Elmar Oliveira, who should know: The Tchaikovsky Competition gold medalist tried out more than 30 different instruments before he found the right one for him. He'll explain what he was looking for in a violin, and why he finally selected one made in 1726 by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu. Hour 2-- Coming to Terms with Amateurism: The first Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs opens tomorrow in Fort Worth, Texas. In today's edition of Coming to Terms, PT commentator Miles Hoffman joins Lisa to talk about amateur musicians and competitions, and how they affect professional musicians. Wednesday, JUNE 9 Hour 1-- Milestones of the Millennium--the Symphony: The symphony is considered by many people to be the most important orchestral musical form of the millennium. But it's followed a long and winding road from its beginnings as the 17th-century sinfonia to the large-scale work championed by Gustav Mahler more than 200 years later. In today's Milestones of the Millennium, commentator Michael Steinberg tells us about the evolution of the symphony and how various composers helped shape it into the form we know today. Hour 2-- Concerts around the country: In this hour, we'll feature a selection of music from recent concert performances across the US. Thursday, JUNE 10 Hour 1--Ernst Toch remembered: Author Lawrence Weschler is a man with a mission--to preserve and promote the musical legacy of his grandfather, Ernst Toch. Weschler talks with Lisa about Toch, a German-Jewish composer who fled to the United States in 1933. And we'll hear some of his music, from a concert last weekend at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. Hour 2-- Basic Roussel: PT critic Ted Libbey joins Lisa for a visit to the PT Basic Record Library. Throughout 1999, Ted is adding important 20th-century works to the collection, and today he recommends three recordings of the ballet "Bacchus et Ariane" by Albert Roussel. Friday, JUNE 11 Hour 1-- Van Cliburn Amateurs: On the third day of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, we'll meet some of the pianists who've gathered in Fort Worth, Texas to go for the gold--from a casino executive to a meteorologist who chases tornadoes. They'll tell us why they decided to throw caution--as well as their spare time--to the wind and enter the event. And we'll hear a performance from the first round of the competition. Hour 2-- ASCAP honors: Today in Chicago, the Louisville Orchestra will receive an award from ASCAP--the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers--that recognizes the orchestra's skill and commitment in programming contemporary music. Conductor and PT commentator Markand Thakar considers why new music is often hard to sell to concert-goers, and tells us why the Louisville Orchestra has succeeded where other have failed. MONDAY, JUNE 14 Hour 1-- And the winner is: The first Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs ended Sunday night. We'll hear who came out on top, and Lisa will talk to the first-prize winner. Hour 2-- Pacifica Quartet live in Studio 4A: Lisa welcomes PT's newest Young Artists in Residence, the Pacifica Quartet, to NPR's Studio 4A for a week of music and conversation. Today we'll meet the members of the group--violinists Simin Ganatra and Kyu-Young Kim, violist Kathryn Lockwood, and cellist Brandon Vamos--and they'll perform for us. FOR MORE PROGRAM INFORMATION, COME AND BROWSE PERFORMANCE TODAY'S WEB PAGE: http://www.npr.org/programs/pt ***NOTE: SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. FOR EXACT BROADCAST TIMES, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC RADIO STATION OR CALL PERFORMANCE TODAY AT (202) 414-2370.